


Songs From Satan's Jukebox

by mercyfull



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Drabble Collection, Ficlet Collection, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Ghouls with phones, Headcanon, Inhuman ghouls, Kissing, Multi, Satan Worship, Slice of Life, Spells & Enchantments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2019-09-07 09:31:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16851541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mercyfull/pseuds/mercyfull
Summary: Drabbles and short fics centered around the nameless ghouls.[Title lifted from a very cool country/gospel compilation album]





	1. Summoning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on prompt #185 by lux-literarum @ Tumblr:
> 
> “What smells like vanilla?”
> 
> The demon blushed. “I never liked the smell of sulfur,” they confessed.

The trip sucked. Aether held the side of his head, vision spinning, fingers splayed over his forehead and scraping the metal of his mask. The spell that had sent them here was choppy and sloppily performed. It was infuriating how the Clergy let its newest, most green members practice their dark magic on the ghouls, but the inhuman servants weren’t in a position to object. Aether removed his hand from his mask and groaned in disgust when it came back covered in soot. 

A heavy weight draped itself over his back, almost making him fall, and he steadied himself and turned to see Multi sag against him. “I’m about to throw up,” the tall ghoul whined, his legs wobbling under him.

There was a clattering sound and Dewdrop emerged from somewhere behind them. Satan knew where he had landed; due to his size he had a tendency to get knocked off course when traveling. Aether was glad to see that he had made it in one piece. “This should have been a hotel,” Dewdrop looked around the alleyway they had manifested in as he pulled his phone out the inner pocket of his jacket. He wiped his fingers on his pants before turning his phone on and opening Google Maps, rotating the screen in his hands as he tried to figure out their current location.

“It’s a seven minute walk in that direction,” Dewdrop said, walking confidently past them and out to the street. Aether pushed Multi off his back gently and followed, and Multi trudged behind them, making pitiful sounds.

They walked in a line, Dewdrop leading the way with his phone in hand. It was nighttime but there were still people around, and they drew some strange looks along their way, curious eyes following their horned masks and formal suits. The strong scent of sulfur didn’t help either. Multi laughed at a couple that passed by them and wished them a “Happy early Halloween,” and to himself he grumbled, “or late, whenever they celebrate that shit…”

A man in black jumped in their way, nearly crashing into Dewdrop who had his nose in his phone. “There you are!” the Brother exclaimed. “I looked all over for you, where the hell did you wander off to?”

“Something was fucked with the summoning spell, it took us-” Aether tried to explain, but the clergyman wasn’t listening. He waved them inside the hotel with frantic movements.

“Hurry,” the Brother said as he led them to the elevators. “The Cardinal is giving an interview right now. They’ll be taking photos of him after and he wants you to be in them. You need to clean up fast.” He looked them over and his nose wrinkled when his eyes landed on Dewdrop. “Why did they send you? Why not the tall drummer one?”

Dewdrop’s body tensed at the insult, shoulders shaking with silent fury. Aether placed a comforting palm on the small of his back, hoping to soothe the little ghoul and to keep him from lashing out. Thankfully, the elevator dinged before the Brother had time to say anything else. He ushered them down the hall and toward the room the Clergy had booked for the evening. “I’ll be back for you in a few minutes,” the Brother said as he slid the key card into the door. “Try to make yourselves presentable for the Cardinal, and for the love of Satan,  _don’t_  go wandering around on your own.”

“We didn’t-” Aether started, but the Brother didn’t wait to hear him. He closed the door behind him and left them alone in the room. Multi tore his mask off with a sigh of relief and disappeared into the bathroom. Aether turned his gaze to Dewdrop, who stood in the center of the room, back straight as an arrow and arms crossed over his chest.

“Dew,” he slithered behind the small ghoul and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. When Dewdrop didn’t react he let go and instead smoothed his jacket and patted the coal dust and ash away. The thin shoulders felt stiff under his hands. “You’re not letting some puny human get to you, are you?”

“No,” Dewdrop shot immediately.

“You could break his neck with one hand,” Aether said, still dusting off the other ghoul’s jacket. When he thought it was as clean as it could get he turned Dewdrop around and got to work on his mask. He swiped a thumb over his cheek and grimaced when it left a clean smudge in the layer of soot that covered the metal. “Should probably just rinse it,” he muttered, fingers rubbing together.

Dewdrop caught his eye, and Aether recognized that he was scrunching up his face under his mask. “What’s that smell?” Dewdrop asked in disgust.

Aether sniffed the air. A sweet smell wafted around them, growing stronger until it overpowered everything. Aether’s headache from the journey returned with a vengeance. Dewdrop slipped under his arms and stomped to bathroom, slamming the door open. A new wave of the overly sweet sscent hit Aether, and he tucked his face into his elbow to cover his mouth and nose before braving his way to the bathroom.

Multi’s mask was in the sink, clean and dripping water. The rest of his outfit hung from the shower curtain rod, and he was standing under it in his underwear, emptying an entire spray bottle on the suit pieces.

Dewdrop snatched the bottle from his hand. “Are you trying to suffocate us?!” he yelled, turning the bottle in his hands. “What is this, faba…” Dewdrop shook his head in irritation and threw the bottle at Aether. “I can’t read this.”

Aether caught it and looked at the label, coughing. “Fe… Febreze? Fabric refresher?”

Multi snatched the bottle back from him and held it close to his chest. “It’s for the smell,” he stated, indignant. “You two are welcome to stay reeking of sulfur while I smell like delicious baked goods.”

“You smell fucking disgusting,” Dewdrop spat.

“Yeah, bud,” said Aether, doing his best to sound apologetic. “I don’t think you’re supposed to use the whole bottle. And the way it mixes with the sulfur… Where did you even find it?”

“It was in a cupboard here,” Multi answered. He studied them for a moment, eyes narrowed in suspicion, then took his balaclava off the rod and held it to his face, breathing it in. “That, uh… that doesn’t smell delicious,” he admitted quietly. “Shit, what if the Cardinal says something?”

“We’ll blame it on the shitty summoning spell,” Aether pushed his mask back to pinch the bridge of his nose. His temples pounded and the back of his throat tickled. It was getting difficult to stand in the small bathing room, surrounded by a fume cloud of vanilla and rotten eggs. Next to him, Dewdrop took off his own mask and peeled his balaclava away so he could rub at his face with both hands.

“Fuck the Cardinal, how are  _we_ going to survive standing next to your smelly ass?” Dewdrop glared at Multi from between his fingers.

Multi grabbed the small ghoul by the hair and shoved his Febreze soaked balaclava in his face. The two scuffled, screaming at his each other, Dewdrop’s voice muffled by the fabric and Multi howling in pain as Dewdrop repeatedly kicked him in an attempt to escape his hold. Aether sighed and picked Dewdrop’s mask from where it fell to the floor. He put it in the sink next to Multi’s and added his own before he turned the water on and watched the grime wash away, leaving behind a shining chrome surface.

“I’ll go crack open a window,” he told the brawling pair. They had fallen into the shower and Dewdrop was raining punches and kicks on Multi before the bigger ghoul would get a chance to pin his limbs down. Aether left the bathroom and opened the window in the main room. He stuck his head out, breathing the cool air in to clear his lungs. A terrible shattering sound came from the bathroom and made him cringe. 

“Someone seriously fucked up the summoning spell,” he rehearsed in his head.

*


	2. Volunteer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on prompt #177 by lux-literarum @ Tumblr:
> 
> “I need a volunteer………other than our resident goody two shoes.”
> 
> Grumbling, the demon lowered their hand.

“All in all, we had a good year,” Sister Imperator concluded. “A record high number of recruits, the most we’ve had since the surge of June 2006; an excellent Blood Moon service during the longest lunar eclipse of the century; and, of course, our very own Papa Nihil turning 106. On his behalf, I would like to extend gratitude to all the ghouls that pitched in to buy him the Complete Omen Collection box set. He found the gesture very touching.”

Dewdrop joined the clapping, not knowing what he was cheering for. The quarterly congregations tended to drag for too long, and the end-of-the-year ones were even worse. He discreetly pulled his phone out of his pocket and peeked at it, careful not to make the action too obvious. The Sister had been talking for a little over two hours now. Dewdrop stopped listening about thirty minutes in. He wiggled in his seat before stretching his legs forward, sliding them under the chair of the ghoul sitting in front of him. 

 _“If I don’t stand up soon I will scream,”_  the thought flashed in his mind.

“Stop moving so much,” Aether murmured from the seat on his left. The large ghoul sprawled comfortably in his chair, legs crossed, taking notes in his stupid little notebook. Dewdrop wanted to slap it out of his hold. Instead, he sat on his hands and rocked back and forth, desperate to release the pent up energy that had been building in him for two hours.

Aether grabbed his shoulder to hold him still. “What is wrong with you?” he whispered. “Just sit down for a few minutes.”

“I can’t,” Dewdrop whispered back, “I can’t sit here for another fucking second.” His growing desperation made his voice rise in volume and the ghoul in front of him turned to give him a warning look. Dewdrop met it with a wild wide-eyed glare and the ghoul turned back quickly.

Aether shook his head and tried to concentrate on the Sister’s words, but it was obvious that Dewdrop’s nervous twitching was taking him out of focus. He put a heavy palm on Dewdrop’s bouncing knee to keep it down. “She’s already gone through everything, we’re almost at the end. Try to make an effort and listen.”

Dewdrop felt like he was about to lose his mind. It was torture for him to have to sit there for such a long time, the Sister’s rambling echoing distantly in his ears.  _“This really is Hell,”_  he thought miserably. His fingers twisted in the fabric of his pants and he wished he had his guitar to fret on. He was a band ghoul, a stage performer, why was he expected to care about stats and numbers and other office shit? 

He pulled his phone out again but before he had a chance to glance at it Aether snatched it from his hand and slid it into his own pocket. Dewdrop growled, earning another look from the ghoul in the front, and threw himself over Aether to try and reach inside his jacket.

“Give it back,” he only just remembered to keep his voice down. Aether pushed him back to his chair. “Aether, I’m so bored…”

Aether shushed him angrily. “Are you purposely trying to get in trouble? Just sit down.”

“Can I sit in your lap?” purring, Dewdrop moved to climb Aether’s thighs. The large ghoul pushed him away just as The Sister’s tone changed, her voice surprising them both and making them jump in their seats. Dewdrop turned to look at her, but luckily her attention wasn’t directed at them.

“Any volunteers?” she asked, looking over the black-clad crowd. A hand shot up from the first row, and the Sister studied the ghoul for a moment before recognizing him. She sighed. “Somebody else, maybe? Somebody who doesn’t get picked every single time?”

Multi made a disappointed sound and lowered his hand.

“There, a solution to your boredom,” Aether whispered to Dewdrop, and before the small ghoul could object Aether waved to catch the Sister’s attention. “Sister, there’s a volunteer here.”

The Sister strained to see above the rows of ghouls, her frazzled face lighting up when she caught sight of Dewdrop. “Ah, I didn’t see you! Come up here, little ghoul.”

Dewdrop stood, body torn between relief at the opportunity to stretch itself and terror of what he was getting dragged into. “What the fuck,” Dewdrop mouthed at Aether as he moved past him to exit the row, and he made sure to stomp the large ghoul’s foot on his way out. The way Aether yelped made him feel better. He walked toward the raised platform at the end of the room, spine straight and shoulders pushed back, and stopped to stand under the Sister’s podium with his hands behind his back.

“A different band ghoul, for once,” Sister Imperator nodded in satisfaction. “Perfect for a Surface mission. And Papa is always glad to spend time with his  _bandmates_.”

Her gaze lowered as she collected her papers and Dewdrop used the opportunity to peer over his shoulder. Multi glared at him from his seat in the front row, arms crossed over his chest, seething in his rejection. Dewdrop stuck his tongue out at him and turned back to the Sister.

“Everybody else is dismissed,” she announced to the room. “See you all at Sunday mass. This week we’ll be having one Mr. Presley accompanying the sermon with song and guitar, so make sure to come in early to get a good spot.”

The crowd began to disperse, the room filling with sounds of scraping chairs and chattering voices. Dewdrop would have given anything to just walk away with the rest of them. His eyes caught Aether on his way out, and the large ghoul made a rude gesture at him, hiding it behind his notebook. Dewdrop suddenly remembered his phone was still with the other ghoul, and he watched him leave with narrowed eyes.

“Sister,” a smooth voice rumbled from behind him. Dewdrop rolled his eyes as Multi came to stand next to him. The ghoul bowed gracefully before straightening his back, purposely towering above Dewdrop and meeting eye to eye with the Sister. She looked back at him with exasperation.

“Ghoul, how can I help you?”

“Forgive me, Sister, but you mentioned this would be a Surface mission,” said Multi. He spoke in a honeyed tone, hands behind his back and head lowered respectfully. Master ass kisser. “You must know that I have the most experience in them. I am well practiced in dealing with humans–"

“That’s exactly why I don’t want you on this mission,” the Sister barely waited for him to finish talking. She shook her head as she straightened the stack of papers in her hands. “Your experience with humans has turned you much too…  _friendly_  toward them. Don’t think no one has noticed your little disappearances every time you go to the Surface.”

Multi held a hand to his chest, looking like a picture of sinful sincerity. “I live to serve my Dark Father and to bring new followers to His light. Seduction is but one way of recruitment.”

“If only these recruitment trips of yours ended with more recruits and less bar tabs for the church to cover, then maybe I would have bought that,” Sister Imperator said dryly. Dewdrop took great pleasure in the choked sound that escaped Multi’s throat, but he made sure to appear indifferent when the Sister’s gaze moved to him. “I’m sure this one will do fine.”

“But,” Multi insisted, “You mentioned Papa? What if His Dark Eminence requires help? I’ll be able to carry him, protect him…”

The implication ignited the fire in Dewdrop’s gut. He shot the taller ghoul a furious glare. “So will I,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Don’t be so touchy, I’m not doubting that you’re a mean little fuck,” Multi turned his head to the side to look at him. “It’s what I meant to say, you’re too busy always trying to throw hands with everyone to watch over Papa.”

Dewdrop didn’t entirely understand what he had said, but decided to take it as an insult just in case. His teeth bared and his foot stomped on impulse. “And you’re too busy sticking your dick in humans!”

Multi opened his mouth to retort, but before he got the chance to say anything the Sister rolled up her stack of papers and whacked him in the head with it. Dewdrop snickered and was immediately hit as well. His mask rattled around his head and he grabbed it with both hands to still the painful ringing in his ears.

“Shut up, both of you,” Sister Imperator looked between them, smacking the roll of papers against her palm in threat. “I’ll be having a talk with the Cardinal about the state of his ghouls. You all speak much too freely.”

Still rubbing his head, Multi let out a whine but quieted when the Sister turned back to him. He assumed a subservient position with his head bowed and his hands behind his back, and when Dewdrop noticed that he hurried to do the same. The Sister seemed pleased by that and unrolled her papers.

“That’s better,” she said, her voice turning calm. “You’ll both go. I suppose Papa likes to walk around flanked on both sides. He enjoys the symmetry.”

The Sister left her podium and climbed down the platform, motioning with her head for the ghouls to come along. Dewdrop exchanged a look with Multi and jogged ahead to fall into step behind her, and Multi followed his lead.

“Papa Nihil has a small procedure scheduled at a human hospital. He should be ready to leave in about an hour,” She glanced back at them as she led them out of the room and down the hall. “You are band ghouls. You’re familiar with the Surface. I trust that everything will go smoothly.”

“Yes, Sister,” murmured Multi from behind. Dewdrop echoed him.

Stopping abruptly, the Sister turned. Dewdrop nearly slammed into her but was saved by Multi, who grabbed his waist and pulled him back against him.

“Papa, he isn’t… thrilled about this procedure,” Sister Imperator’s voice lowered and she leaned in close as she spoke, as if she was sharing a secret with them. “Be attentive to him and do as he says, but don’t let him get away from his colonoscopy. He’s already had me reschedule it too many times.”

Dewdrop nodded. He had no clue what she was talking about but wanted to show he was listening. His lack of interest or understanding of the human world was very evident that day. Multi’s voice drifted from above him, whispering another “yes, Sister”, and the taller ghoul squeezed his sides.

The Sister nodded in return and rubbed the flat of her chest wearily. They had reached her office and were standing outside it. She took out a heavy key ring and sifted through it, her fingers searching for the right key.

“Right, I’ll start on the summoning spell,” she found the key and unlocked the door, stepping inside. “You two can go and prepare for your departure, but be sure to return here on time. And Satan help you both if I hear you were arguing in Papa’s presence.” She hissed the last words at them before slamming the door behind her.

The ghouls were left standing in the hallway. Dewdrop pushed away from Multi’s chest and turned to face him. “What’s a concoslopy?”

“I think it’s when they put a camera up your ass,” pursing his lips, Multi looked Dewdrop over, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why the hell did you volunteer, man? You hate these things.”

“I didn’t! It was Aether messing with me,” Dewdrop grumbled. He patted his hands over the front of his jacket, feeling the empty pockets. “That fat fuck still has my phone. I need to go get it before we leave.”

Stepping to the side to clear a path in the hallway, Multi gestured in the direction they came from, toward the ghouls’ living chambers. “After you, partner,” he smirked down at Dewdrop. His suspicion seemed to have left him, and now he just seemed annoyingly self-satisfied by getting his wish from the Sister.

Dewdrop walked past him, jabbing a sharp shoulder into Multi’s chest on the way. “Hey, why the  _fuck_ would anyone want to put a camera up their ass?”

“Humans will stick anything in there,” Multi shrugged and followed him, hand rubbing the place he had just been stabbed in. “We could ask around once we’re at the hospital, maybe stick by and watch Papa getting his procedure?”

“ _Yuck_ , no thanks.”


	3. Prelude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aether/Dewdrop. This was inspired by a convo with a friend and was meant to be sexy but turned out soft, because I'm too soft lately 😭

“The ritual hasn’t even started yet and you’re already causing trouble, you menace?”

Dewdrop looked behind his shoulder to see Aether approach. He had been standing backstage with one of the guitar techs, watching silently while the dressed-down Brother replaced a string Dewdrop felt was close to snap. They would be going onstage soon, the ritual set to begin in 15 minutes, and the entire building was thrumming with the distant sounds of the audience, already seated and expecting.

“What do you want?” Dewdrop rolled his eyes and turned back to observe the fingers of the technician as he worked. He preferred to care for his guitars himself, was a bit wary of depending on others to do it, but after Rain sliced his hand on a string the night before the Cardinal had ordered the guitar ghouls to leave the maintenance to the touring crew. Ghouls healed fast, but they still hurt, and the Cardinal didn’t want to risk them botching their playing because of nicked fingers.

Aether reached where they were standing and nodded at the guitar tech before slinging a heavy arm around Dewdrop’s shoulders, making the small ghoul bow under its weight. “Just came to check on you, make sure you’re behaving yourself,” Aether said in a cheerful tone. Dewdrop shrugged him off in irritation. Aether was only half dressed, not even ready for the stage yet. His tie hung loose around his neck and his jacket was thrown over his shoulder. Dewdrop huffed and narrowed his eyes at him. And  _ he _ was supposed to be the one causing trouble?

“Actually,” Aether’s demeanor changed suddenly, turning more serious, “there was something I needed to talk to you about. Spare a moment?”

“Okay?” Dewdrop threw one last longing look at his guitar as it was handled by another’s hands before he followed Aether’s large form to a quieter area. “You’re  _ not _ winning the guitar duel, if that’s what you planned on asking,” he said coolly, watching the big ghoul try different doors along their way. He found an unoccupied room and flicked the lights on before motioning for Dewdrop to follow. Dewdrop barely made it inside before he was pushed against the door, slamming it closed. Aether tipped his chin up with his knuckles and leaned down to pry his lips open with his tongue, their masks meeting with a clang.

“Aeth–“ Dewdrop tried to speak but his voice drowned in the kiss. Aether wrapped arms around his middle and pulled him close, pressing their bodies together and trapping Dewdrop between himself and the door. Dewdrop wasn’t left any choice but to relax and allow it to happen. He let Aether lick inside his mouth and smoothed his own hands up the other's arms, digging his fingers into thick biceps. Both being healthy ghouls, the physical closeness was quickly getting to them. Dewdrop felt hot and stifled in his clothes, his collar uncomfortably tight around his neck, and the way Aether's hands slid down to cup his ass made it clear the big ghoul was affected in a similar way.

This was too risky so close to the start of the ritual. Dewdrop pushed against Aether's shoulders to put some distance between them, but the big ghoul was too occupied in the kiss to notice and didn’t budge. Dewdrop directed a sharp kick to his shin and bit back a chuckle when Aether moved away from him with a pained mewl.

“This what you wanted to talk about?” Dewdrop leaned his back on the door and crossed his arms, smirking at his band mate as he bent over to rub at his sore leg.

“Meanie,” Aether pouted, straightening his back with a sigh. “All I wanted was a bit of loving before we go on stage.”

Dewdrop pushed away from the door and made to open it. “Well, you got it.” 

Aether made a disappointed sound and fell into a chair, sprawling in it as much as his wide form allowed him to. Dewdrop looked back at him, his hand resting on the door handle. His eyes traveled from the sliver of skin exposed from the unbuttoned collar of his shirt, down his chest and finally to the bulge of his crotch between his spread thighs. Maybe he wanted some pre-show loving, too?

Letting go of the door, Dewdrop stalked further inside the room and stopped to stand between Aether's legs. The big ghoul looked up at him with hopeful eyes, swallowing audibly when Dewdrop's fingers brushed down his neck and started to mess with his open collar and loose tie. He brought his hands to settle on Dewdrop's hips, thumbs moving in circles over the fabric of his stage pants. It felt intimate and nice, and would have developed into something even nicer if it weren't for the voice that drifted from beyond the closed door just at that moment. 

“Five minutes!” someone announced in the hall outside, yelling to be heard over the hum of the crowd. Dewdrop let out a quiet groan and tugged on the ends of Aether's tie. “You need to finish getting dressed,” he chided softly.

Aether's hands tightened on his hips to pull him down, dragging him over his thigh to straddle it. “I can't,” he threw his head back dramatically, blowing air out of his mouth. “My hands are busy.” 

Snorting, Dewdrop settled on his thigh, draping himself over Aether's chest and wrapping arms around his middle. “Stupid,” he muttered and waited for Aether to tip his head back down, offended by the insult, before pressing their lips together in a kiss. Aether hummed into it, immediately forgiving , and held Dewdrop's legs where they squeezed around his thigh. 

Dewdrop sat back, trusting Aether to keep him balanced, and buttoned the other ghoul's collar closed. He moved to handle the tie, twisting it into a knot and tying it properly with practiced motions. Aether looked down his torso, watching the long thin fingers as they worked, absentmindedly stroking his hands over Dewdrop's hips and sides. 

“There,” Dewdrop said when was finished, straightening the tie down Aether's chest. “Now go play your guitar for Satan.”

Aether laughed and stood with a grunt, supporting the small ghoul with hands under his ass and bringing him up with him. He took a few steps forward and hiked Dewdrop up in his hold so that they were eye to eye, the noses of their masks scraping together. “Don’t tell Satan,” he mock-whispered, making Dewdrop roll his eyes, “or the Cardinal, but I’d much rather stay in here.”

“Blasphemous,” the small ghoul wiggled and kicked his legs where they were hanging on either side of Aether’s hips. “Put me down, you big idiot.”

Aether let him go, releasing him to stand on his own legs. Dewdrop fixed himself, pulling on the hem of his jacket and bending over to smooth his pant legs down his shins, his eyes following Aether as the big ghoul returned to the chair to retrieve his jacket from where it fell to the floor. He watched as Aether shrugged it on, fingers nimbly threading the buttons through their holes, the fabric stretching over his chest and shoulders as it was fastened close. Aether’s outfit was stupidly tight. Dewdrop blinked to clear his mind when Aether was done getting dressed, the big ghoul raising his hands to the sides, palms up, presenting himself to Dewdrop for inspection.

Dewdrop tsked and curled his finger, gesturing for him to come closer. When Aether moved in Dewdrop reached for his tie again and arranged it neatly between the lapels of his jacket.

“Now you’re just being annoying,” Aether grabbed one of his hands and pressed his lips to the palm. “Come on, let’s go before the Cardinal decides to cane us.”

Aether opened the door and was halfway out of the room when the temptation overpowered Dewdrop and he smacked the big ghoul on his butt. Aether flinched at the sharp sting and turned, standing on the threshold, directing a surprised look on Dewdrop.

Dewdrop shrugged. “You said you wanted some loving?” he bit his lip, failing hard at suppressing a grin.

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” Aether rubbed his sore cheek carefully. Dewdrop slipped past him, through the narrow space left between Aether’s body and the doorway, and landed another smack on the other cheek on his way. He glanced back at his tall band mate as he started walking in the direction of the stage and stuck his tongue out at him.

“Might show you some more love during the show.”

Aether groaned and followed him, protecting his backside with both hands. “Not you too,” he lamented. “I already have to watch myself around the Cardinal, now you’ll be going after my arse as well?”

Dewdrop pressed his lips together to hold back his laugh. Tonight’s ritual was going to be fun.


	4. Tonsure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of Aether and Dewdrop being soft boyfriends. That's what I'm about.

“Dewdrop, in Satan’s name, _what did you do to yourself_?”

Aether was freshly showered and already in bed, exhausted after the high from playing a ritual had died down, when he noticed how long his hotel roommate was taking in the bathroom. It was unusual for Dewdrop to spend so much time showering, so Aether dragged himself out from between the sheets and went to investigate. What he saw when he opened the bathroom door made him feel wide awake.

He was greeted by the sight of Dewdrop standing in front of the mirror, scissors in hand, working on slicing through his ponytail. The hair that he had already managed to cut was scattered in clumps everywhere Aether could see — on the floor, in the sink, some of it had even managed to get stuck to the mirror and the tiled wall. As Aether looked around the scene in shock, Dewdrop finished cutting and held up his detached ponytail in triumph.

“Oh, hey,” Dewdrop noticed Aether’s reflection in the mirror and turned to face him. “I was just giving myself a haircut.”

Aether stared at him in disbelief. What remained of Dewdrop’s hair was a mess around his head, sticking out in every direction, the ends of it blunt and uneven. And to make things worse his face, neck and clothes were covered in snipped bits of hair. “You look like the scientist guy from your cartoon,” Aether raised an eyebrow.

“Rick? Cool,” Dewdrop threw the scissors on the counter and ran a hand through his hair, somehow managing to mess it up even further. He held his other hand in front of Aether’s face and dangled the ponytail from it. “Wanna keep this?” he offered jokingly.

“Lucifer, no,” Aether sighed and stepped inside to better inspect the state of the small room. “Just get in the shower, you menace. I can’t believe the mess you made here.”

Dewdrop shrugged and dropped the bundle of hair in the sink. "I think I'll save it, this shit comes in handy in black magic," he mused. Aether waited for him to strip and climb into the shower, then got to work cleaning the place up to the best of his abilities. After picking Dewdrop’s discarded clothes from the floor he used a wad of toilet paper to collect the hair from around the room, and he managed to get most of it by the time the shower stopped and Dewdrop reemerged. Aether threw him a towel and watched as the other ghoul patted himself dry.

It wasn’t as bad as he had initially thought. With the water weighing it down Dewdrop’s hair didn’t look that wild, just very uneven. Dewdrop noticed him staring and smirked. “Like what you’re seeing?” he asked, head tilting to the side.

Aether picked up the scissors from the counter. “Can I…?” he snipped them loudly.

Dewdrop rolled his eyes and wrapped the towel around his waist. “No,” he deadpanned and moved to leave the room.

“Please?” Aether grabbed his wrist as Dewdrop passed by him.

“No!” Dewdrop tore his hand out of Aether’s hold and glared at the taller ghoul. “It’s just stupid hair. I don’t care how it looks.”

“It’ll only take a minute, I just want to even it a little—”

“No,” Dewdrop ruffled and messed his own hair again, as if to spite Aether. His hand dropped from his hair suddenly and his expression fell. “Does it really bother you that much?” his voice was heavy with hurt.

“Oh, no, Dew,” Aether bent down to look into Dewdrop’s eyes, fixing him with a serious stare. “You can shave it all off if you feel like it. It's your hair. I just don’t want to think of Rick and Morty every time I look at you.”

Snorting, Dewdrop broke their eye contact and looked to the side. “Fine.”

Aether raised his fist in victory and returned to the sink. “Hop on,” he said as he patted the counter top.

Dewdrop did as instructed and climbed the counter to sit on it. Aether smoothed his hair down with his fingers and considered it for a few moments. The shortest parts reached just about Dewdrop’s jaw and Aether tried to match the rest of the hair to that length. When it was time to take care of the back he nudged Dewdrop’s legs up, and the ghoul got the idea and turned around on the counter top with his legs crossed. Their eyes met in the mirror.

“So why did you do it?” Aether asked as he gently snipped at the back of Dewdrop’s head. He was doing his best to catch the hair falling off and throw it in the sink.

Dewdrop shrugged one shoulder. “Too much to handle. It got too long and it was pissing me off,” he waited for Aether to look up at the mirror again before he continued. “It’s just hair, it’ll grow back.”

That was true. Aether put aside the scissors and brushed his fingers through Dewdrop’s hair, fascinated by how familiar yet new the feeling was. Dewdrop’s hair was straight and smooth, but the long length made it difficult to run a hand through in one motion. Now Aether could run his fingers from roots to ends with no interruptions, it was that silky, and the action felt so satisfying that he buried both of his hands in Dewdrop’s hair and ran them through over and over.

“You done?” Dewdrop asked, voice low from the pleasure of having his hair played with.

“Pretty much,” Aether brushed Dewdrop’s hair to the side and touched his lips to the skin of his exposed nape.

Dewdrop leaned back into him, pressing his back to Aether’s chest and humming appreciatively when the lips moved to the side of his neck. “That wasn’t so bad,” he purred, stretching his neck to the side to give Aether more access. “Maybe next time my hair gets too long I’ll let you cut it.”

Aether kissed under his ear before pulling back, discreetly trying to remove a hair that snuck into his mouth. “I appreciathe your trusth in me. Are you going in the thower again?" Aether lisped.

"Twice in one day?" Dewdrop ducked under his arm and slipped off the counter. “That’s too much.”

Aether scraped his tongue with a finger only to end up with more hairs in his mouth. Sighing, he followed Dewdrop out of the bathroom.


	5. Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if/how I'll incorporate everything into fic form but I'm coming up with my own bios and backstories for the ghouls. I decided that before becoming members of Ghost Aether was Special's apprentice (before the role was terminated) and Dewdrop was a band tech. This is their first interaction. 
> 
> Many thanks to @dying_deist for the endless support. ❤️

Light filtered through the stained windows of the church hall, painting everything in red and blue hues, but Aether barely paid the pretty phenomenon any mind. He paced between the empty pews, heavy steps echoing from the walls. His stomach swirled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, so much that he skipped breakfast that day to the surprise of those who knew him. Today was an important day, one that could decide his future with the Clergy, and as the hour approached Aether's normally calm self became more and more anxious.

It had been almost three years since Aether began his apprenticeship under the Clergy's spokesghoul, Special. He'd been hand picked by the senior ghoul himself, who was impressed with his quick wit and soft way of speaking, and especially with how collected he remained even when faced with conflict. The latter trait wasn't a common one in ghouls. "These are all important qualities to have when coming in contact with humans," Special told him the first day, "and not easily teachable. That's why I asked to have you as my understudy."

For the most part Aether's job persisted of assisting Special in anything that he required — from making sure his printer was always stocked with paper and ink, to ironing his uniform and polishing his mask before public appearances. Special made him go over every statement the Clergy ever made public in any form, some dating centuries back, even planting mistakes to make sure Aether was reading with care. He had him come up with a filing system so that he could quickly and easily refer back to them going by subject, tone and pop culture references. That last area was the trickiest, and a good portion of Aether's time was dedicated to learning and familiarizing himself with life on the Surface. He'd never actually been, not yet, but once he learned to use the internet it was pretty much like living there anyway.

Aether had been feeling confident enough for some months now. He knew he was ready for more — more responsibilities, more challenges. The opportunity finally came the previous day when Special ordered him to write the sermon Papa Emeritus III will read at the coming mass. The Ghost project being nominated for a Grammy was keeping the Clergy's speaker busy with press releases and preparing an acceptance speech in the case that they win, and he could use being relieved of one of his tasks. Aether took on the assignment excitedly and worked all night, but his excitement turned to terror when morning came and he handed the speech to Special only to learn that the senior ghoul had no plans to read it beforehand. "I'd like to hear it coming from Papa's mouth, like it is meant to be heard," Special winked at him before leaving his office.

So that was that. Aether fell into one of the pews and picked at his nails nervously. If the sermon was good enough, he hoped that it would help cement the idea that he could replace Special one day. It was probably the highest ranking role a ghoul could hope to reach in the Church, and Aether thought he could do well in it. But if the sermon wasn't good… he didn't want to think how that would make him appear in the high Clergy's eyes. Like wasted resources, probably.

The time was coming. The mass was already being prepared. Aether stared mindlessly as another ghoul began to prepare the band's instruments. Soon the hall will fill with Brothers and Sisters of Sin, clergymen and ghouls, and Papa will take his stand at the altar and address them all in congregation… those will be Aether's words coming from his mouth, for better or for worse, and he nodded to himself as he realized that no matter what today's outcome will be, he came quite a long way for a lowly ghoul.

He needed a distraction for the time being, a way to calm himself before he lost his mind to the nerves. Aether's eyes fell on the acoustic guitar in the choir where the band would be playing. An old passion of his. He hadn't touched his own guitar in weeks, maybe even months at this point, and suddenly his fingers itched with the need to pluck the strings. His gaze moved to the ghoul setting the stage up. Aether had seen him around a few times, mostly when he'd gone to see Ghost practice in the rehearsal room where the ghoul would stand in the back and wait for them to finish. He appeared to be in charge of caring for the musical instruments in the Church. It was comical to see someone so small carry around large drum parts and several guitar cases at once, but he didn’t seem to struggle at all. Aether had never spoken to him before, but his friend Ifrit did and said that the ghoul was, in his words, a rude little shit.

But it wasn't like Aether had anything to lose. He stood up with a grunt and walked to the choir. The ghoul heard him approach and glanced at him briefly before returning his attention to testing the pipe organ. Aether looked at the guitar in its stand, wood polished and strings taut, and ran a finger along the neck. "Do you mind if I…?" he asked as his eyes appreciated the instrument's form. A low growl made him retract his hand and look up in surprise.

"Don't touch it, it's already tuned," the ghoul hissed at him.

"I know how to play, don't worry," Aether tried, but the ghoul shook his head and turned his back on him. Aether frowned behind his mask. He could just pick the guitar up and play it, what could the ghoul do? Aether wasn't much for fighting but you couldn't tell it from looking at him with his tall stature and large build. He really didn't want to start any trouble though, not ever and not today in particular, so with a sigh Aether stuck his hands in his uniform's pockets and looked down at the guitar in longing. Inwardly, he had to appreciate the nerve of the tiny ghoul acting so boldly.

He'll have to find another way to unwind. Maybe take a calming shower in the ghouls' dorms before returning here to face his fate. Besides, the sound of the organ keys being pressed one by one was grating on his nerves. "See you at mass," Aether said quietly as he made to leave, but then he remembered something and spun back on his heel. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have an extra string I could take, right?" he asked.

The ghoul twisted his neck to look at him. "What string?" he sounded irritable.

"For my guitar. I broke a couple strings some time ago and never got around to replace them," Aether scratched the back of his neck. "It's practically unplayable at this point."

The ghoul watched him silently for a moment in what Aether assumed was a wordless "no", but then he got up from the bench of the organ and bent over a backpack. He handed Aether an unopened pack of strings.

"Not the whole box!" Aether was reluctant to take it. Knowing how things worked in the Church he wasn't sure the ghoul was allowed to give him a whole pack, but the other shoved it into his hand anyway.

"You know how to replace them?" the ghoul inquired, his tone doubtful. Aether nodded and accepted the pack of strings. The ghoul returned to the organ without saying another word and Aether watched him go, still surprised by what had just happened. Was that meant as a friendly gesture or just a way to get him to leave? Aether was a good judge of character, it was part of why he was where he was, and something told him the other ghoul was attempting to be sociable. If that was the case Aether wanted to show his appreciation.

"Do you maybe wanna jam together some time?" he offered. _If I don't get banished tonight_ , he finished in his mind. "We could find some quiet spot, I'll bring my guitar, you bring yours—"

"I don't have a guitar," the other ghoul cut him off. Aether gulped and looked to the side as the repetitive sounds of the organ keys filled the air again. He should have figured that. The other ghoul wasn't a band member, only staff. It wasn't surprising that he didn't have an instrument of his own. Aether's guitar was a privilege he gained thanks to Special looking out for him, not a common thing at all.

Now Aether knew exactly what to say. "You can come play mine," he offered, addressing the other ghoul's back. "Satan knows it needs some TLC, and you seem like you know what you're doing."

The ghoul turned on the seat to face him, blue eyes widened to fill the holes of his mask. "Okay," he sounded suspicious, but there was a hint of hopefulness in his voice that Aether didn't miss.

Suddenly he regretted the offer. Aether wasn't sure he could keep it, and the thought of disappointing the other ghoul worried him more than the possibility of banishment. "Yeah, if I'm still around, let's do that," he turned the pack of strings in his hands, knowing he sounded dramatic and feeling awkward for it.

"Oh," the other ghoul said, and Aether flinched when he noticed his tone become cold again. "You're leaving?"

"I'm… I'm not sure," Aether admitted. "I wrote Papa's sermon for today, and if it's not good enough, then…"

To his surprise, the other ghoul snorted at that. "It'll be better than whatever that idiot can come up with on his own," the ghoul tilted his head, the sides of his eyes crinkling with a smile. Aether felt thrilled by the sacrilege of his words, and he couldn't hold back a smile of his own from forming on his lips.

"Right, well, I hope I see you again," Aether chuckled and held the pack of strings up in gratitude. "I'm Aether, sorry for not introducing myself earlier."

"Dewdrop," the ghoul turned back to the organ. "See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Aether repeated and left the church hall, feeling oddly cheerful.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my tumblr in case you want to say hi: https://mercy-full.tumblr.com/


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